Card with embedded bistable display having short and long term information

ABSTRACT

A transaction card system includes a transaction card with a display tag for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the display tag and an array of electrical contacts for electrically addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, a contact window through which the contacts are accessible, machine readable data on the card, and a long term information printed on the transaction card; a transaction card writer having a reader for reading the machine readable data and having means for updating the short term information displayed on the transaction card; and a central computer connected to the transaction card writer having a data base and a central processor for receiving the information read by the magnetic card reader and generating display commands for the transaction card writer.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/669,741, filed on Sep. 24, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,689,459, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to transaction cards having an embedded bistable display and a display writing system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a growing use of transaction cards having a changeable value amount associated to it. These cards typically have long term information devices such as a magnetic strip or chip embedded that relates to a database holding the current value for that card. Other long term information on the card may be printed images done by way of, for instance, a thermal printing device. With subsequent usage of the card, a reduced or increased value is assessed to the database relating to the card. The consumer, however, has no visual indication on the card showing what amount remains until the next use. There is, therefore, a need for an indicator which shows the short term amounts at any given time on the card throughout its life. Such cards could be used for allotments of credits, such as phone cards and arcade games, and monetary amounts such as gift cards and pre-set credit cards. This can be accomplished with a thin, bistable display embedded within the card showing the ever changing amounts. A read/write device at the point of sale will send the card data from the magnetic strip of memory chip to the database and receive hack new short term information to be electronically written to the card prior to withdrawing it from the read/write device. Subsequent use of the card continues to change the short term visual information in accordance with the database.

There is therefore a need for an improved transaction card that holds long term data and images as well as short term visible information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The need is met according to the present invention by providing a transaction card system that includes a transaction card with a display tag for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the display tag, and an array of electrical contacts for electrically addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, a contact window through which the contacts are accessible, machine readable data on the card, and long term information printed on the transaction card; a transaction card writer having a reader for reading information stored on the magnetic stripe of the transaction card and having means for updating the short term information displayed on the transaction card; and a central computer connected to the transaction card writer having a database and a central processor for receiving the data read by the transaction card writer and generating display commands for the transaction card writer.

ADVANTAGES

The invention has the advantage of providing a transaction card system that updates and displays short term information relating to the use of the transaction card with an inexpensive and easily manufactured transaction card that does not contain any active electronics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a character display tag according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a character display tag taken along lines 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded back view of a transaction card according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an assembled back view of the transaction card of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross section view of an assembled transaction card taken along 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a transaction card writer used to electrically change the short term information on the transaction card according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the transaction card writer of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a transaction card system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a character display tag 10 is constructed by forming a conductive common electrode layer 12 on a substrate 15. A layer of bistable liquid crystal material 18 is deposited, for example by roll coating, over the conductive common electrode layer 12, leaving an exposed area 16 of layer 12 for making electrical contact. Electrically conductive character segments 20 are then formed, for example by thick film printing over the bistable liquid crystal layer 18. The character segments 20 may be arranged as numbers 0-9, a slash, a decimal point, a dollar sign, or a cent sign. A dielectric layer 19 is then printed over the character segments 20, leaving via holes 22 over each character segment 20. Electrically conductive traces 21 are printed over the dielectric layer 19 which flows through the via holes 22, making contact with the conductive character segments 20.

The conductive traces 21 terminate at the bottom of the tag 10 to form a plurality of contact pads 40. The optical state of the bistable liquid crystal material 18 between the character segments 20 and the electrode layer 12 can be changed by selectively applying drive voltages to the contact pads 40 which are electrically connected to the character segments 20 and the electrode layer 12. Once the optical state of the bistable material has been changed, it remains in that state indefinitely without further power being applied to the electrodes. The character display tag can be made as shown for example in U.S. Ser. No. 10/134,185, filed Apr. 29, 2002 by Stephenson et al., which is incorporated herein by reference.

Referring to FIG. 3, a card body 25 is shown with a front window 28 allowing front side viewing of tag 10 and a cap 30 to encapsulate the tag 10 within the card body 25 by a means of sealing, one of which is ultrasonic. The tag 10 is positioned within the card body 25 by way of locator darts 26. The cap 30 is placed in recess 32 of the back of card body 25. The cap 30 is ultrasonically sealed in the recess 32 to the card body 25.

FIG. 4 shows an assembled transaction card 35 with an opening 37 in cap 30 to allow external electrical contacts to reach contact pads 40 of tag 10. The card also includes means for providing machine readable data, for example a magnetic strip 27 which holds stored data pertaining to the transaction card 35. Alternatively, the means for providing machine readable data may comprise an embedded memory chip with exposed contacts on the card body, an RFID chip embedded in the card body 25, or a bar code printed on the card body.

FIG. 5 is a section view derived from FIG. 4 showing an enlargement of the tag portion of the assembled transaction card 35. The cap 30 after being sealed into recess 32 becomes coplanar with the back of the card body 25, allowing uninterrupted insertion into a card writer.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a transaction card writer 45 is shown which can read a magnetic strip 27 as well as write to the display tag 10. Upon insertion into a slot, a magnetic strip reader 48 reads the magnetic strip 27 to determine the card data stored on the strip and relates it to the stored data on a database. As insertion is completed, the card pushes against fingers 51, raising contact sled 56 by way of a camming angle 54 between the transaction card writer 45 and posts 55 of contact sled 56 which holds contact pins 52. When contact sled 56 is fully raised, the contact pins 52 come in contact with the contact pads 40 of display tag 10 allowing electrical signals to change the state of the conductive segments 20.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic block diagram of a transaction card system according to the present invention. A central computer 75 contains a database 70 having stored data pertaining to individual transaction cards 35. A transaction card writer 45 includes a reading device 48, which reads the machine readable data from the transaction card 35. Within transaction card writer 45 is a control circuit board 50 with a display driver controller 80, a plurality of contact pins 52, and wires 65 from the pins 52 to the control circuit board 50. Cable 67 is connected between a controller 85 on the control circuit board 50 and to the central computer 75.

A printer 95 such as a thermal printer, can be provided to print long term information on transaction card 35 when the card is first issued to a transaction card holder. The images originating from computer 75 are sent to the printer 95. The printing of long term information can thus be done locally and customized with individual card issuer information and markings.

A transaction card writer 45 can also be provide as part of a terminal 90, which can be used to originally issue or recharge value to the transaction card 35. At original issue, the issuer of the card would indicate to the computer 75 via an operator interface, such as a keyboard 96, the nature and value of the card. A new card would be printed by the printer 95 and written by transaction card writer 45 to show the value of the card. If additional value is desired for the transaction card 35, the transaction card can be inserted into a transaction card writer 45 within the terminal 90. The database 70 would recognize the card identification from the machine readable data on the card. Once the desired increased amount is paid for by either cash payment or charged from a credit or debit card, the value is updated in the database 70 by way of the central computer 75. The new value is then sent to the transaction card writer 45 within the terminal 90 and written to the transaction card 35. The transaction to increase the value of the card can be performed by a clerk, or can be performed automatically by the terminal 90.

The transaction card system of the present invention can be used, for example, to provide a prepaid gift card; a prepaid game card; a preset limit credit card; a prepaid service card for services such as utilities, gasoline, telephone, transportation, college bookstores, cafeterias, theatre, or concerts; a cumulated credit card where an accumulated credit due to the use of the card is displayed on the card; a library card indicating when the book is due where the information stored in the card is the ID of a hook and the information displayed on the card is the due date of the book; a club membership card where the short term information relates to club privileges; a video store card where the short term information relates to a number of video rentals due to the holder of the card; a “frequent flyer” card where the short term information shows the number of miles (credits) accumulated.

For example, if the transaction card is a prepaid card, the following process could take place. The card would be purchased from a retailer for a given amount, e.g. $50, and an account in that amount associated with the identifier on the card would be created in the database. The retailer would produce the card and write the prepaid amount into the card to show on the display tag. When a card holder uses the card to purchase a item or a service, the provider of the item or service would communicate the value of the transaction to the computer and the value would be deducted from the balance in the database and a new remaining balance would be displayed on the card.

In the example where the transaction card is a credit card with a cumulative limit, the issuer of the credit card would supply the card with an agreed upon credit limit which would be displayed on the card and recorded in the database. As each purchase is made with the card, the remaining credit value in the database would be updated and displayed on the card. When the credit value reaches zero, further credit would be denied to the card holder. When a payment is made toward the credit card, the database is updated to show the new available credit. The next time the credit card is used, the amount of remaining available credit is updated to show the balance of credit after the payment and any further transactions.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

PARTS LIST

-   10 character display tag -   12 common electrode layer -   15 substrate -   16 exposed area -   18 bistable liquid crystal layer -   19 dielectric layer -   20 conductive character segments -   21 conductive traces -   22 via holes -   25 card body -   26 locator darts -   27 magnetic strip -   28 window -   30 cap -   32 backside recess -   35 transaction card assembly -   37 cap opening -   40 tag contact pads -   45 transaction card writer -   48 magnetic strip reader -   50 circuit board w/drivers -   51 fingers -   52 contact pins -   54 camming angle -   55 contact sled posts -   56 contact sled -   65 wires -   67 cable -   70 central computer database -   75 central computer -   80 display driver controller -   85 card writer microprocessor -   90 terminal -   95 printer -   96 keyboard 

1. An apparatus comprising: a) a reader for reading machine readable data stored on a transaction card having a display tag including a character display for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the display tag, the display tag also including an array of electrical contacts for electrically addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, the array of contacts being directly connected to the character display via conductive traces, the transaction card also having a contact window through which the contacts are accessible, and means for providing the machine readable data; b) an array of electrical contact pins arranged for making contact with the array of electrical contacts of the display tag on the transaction card through the contact window in the card; c) means for moving the electrical contact pins between a position out of contact with the display tag and a position in contact with the display tag in response to insertion and removal of the transaction card into a slot in the transaction card writer, thereby minimizing wear on the array of electrical contacts on the transaction card, the means for moving the electrical contact pins including at least one finger disposed to, in response to being pushed by the transaction card as the transaction card is inserted into the slot, cause the electrical contact pins to be moved linearly to come in contact with the array of electrical contacts of the display tag; and d) control electronics including means for receiving display commands and producing drive signals to the array of electrical contacts of the display tag to change the optical state of the character display of the display tag, and including means for communicating the machine readable data read by the reader.
 2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for providing machine readable data is a magnetic stripe on the card body, an embedded memory chip with exposed contacts on the card body, an RFID chip embedded in the card body, or a bar code printed on the card body.
 3. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, further comprising a writer for writing machine readable data onto the card. 